Corn-planter.



J. G. TUNNIGLIFP.

COR-N PLANTER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 19, 1911,

1,000,4 2, Patented Aug. 15,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. G. TUNNIGLIPF.

CORN PLANTER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1911.

1,000,462, Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

UNIT

JOHN C. TUNNICLIFF, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 D. M. SECHLERIMPLEMENT & CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. TUNNIOLIFF, a cit-izen'of the United States,residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in corn planters, and its object isto provide new and improved mechanism by which cow peas, or othersimilar leguminous product, may be dropped into the same hill with thecorn.

It is well known that cow peas and some other leguminous products havethe faculty of fertilizing the soil for reasons that are well known andwell understood. Recently the idea has been developed among farmers andthroughout agricultural stations that it is great benefit in certainsoils to plant such a vegetable as cow peas with the corn. Indeed, ithas been claimed that to do so actually causes an increase in the yieldof corn the first year. At any rate, experience has shown that even ifthe yield of the first years planting of corn is somewhat diminished theeffect on the soil is such that the succeeding crops after the firstyear are gradually increased so as to more than offset this, and.therefore such planting of peas with the corn is of great advantage. Ithas also been found that the best results are obtained when the corn andthe cow peas are planted at the same time and in the same hills. becausewhen this is done both crops can be harvested with the corn binder, andthe peas used for ensilage or fed with corn fodder in the usual manner.

It is the object of my invention to provide a new and improved mechanismby which this may be accomplished and peas or similar leguminousvegetable may be planted in the same hills with the corn.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a top or plan view; Fig. 2 isan enlarged detail, being a side elevation of the seed-box and runner,mostly in vertical section; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, being arear view of the same parts shown in Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 19, 1911.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Serial No. 628,181.

Referring to the drawings,-5 indicates the rear frame, in which isjournaled an axle 6 on which are mounted carryingwheels 7. The axle 6 isprovided with the usual sprocket 8 carrying a sprocket-chain 9 with asprocket-chain adjuster 10.

11 indicates the front or runner-frame, on which are mounted the usualseed-boxes l2 and check-rower heads 13 carrying the usual forks 14:adapted to be operated by a checkrower wire and serving, in the usualmanner, to rock thejcheck rower shaft 15 which is suitably journa'led inthe machine. 17 indicates an operating-shaft journaled in the frontframe 11 in the usual manner and carrying clutch mechanism 18. Thisclutch mechanism may be of any well-known description, as in itself itforms no part of my present invention and operates in the wellknownmanner. It is enough to say that the clutch mechanism consists of twomembers, one of which is secured to the operatingshaft 17 so as torotate therewith, while the other is driven by the sprocket-chain 9. Theclutch is operated by any well-known connection with the rock-shaft 15in such a way that with each throw of the fork levers the clutch membersare connected together so as to give the operating-shaft 17 apredetermined rotation and automatically disengage the clutch members atthe end of that predetermined rotation.

19 (see Fig. 2) indicates a seed-plate, which is rotatably mounted inthe bottom of the hoppers 12 and contains the usual seed-cups adapted toconvey each a single grain of corn.

The seed-plate may be operated from the shaft by any suitable mechanism,but I prefer to use the mechanism shown and describedin the patent toEmil E. Englund, No. 918,983, dated April 20, 1909, which is well knownand needs no particular description here further than to say that20indicates a toothed gear ring, of the type shown in said Englundpatent, rotatably mounted below the seed-boxes 12 and connected with theseed-plate 19 so as to rotate therewith. 21 indicates a toothed memberslidingly mounted on the operating-shaft 17 and adapted to engage thetoothed ring 20 and by sliding it in one direction or the other on theshaft to vary the number of seeds deposited in the hill in the mannershown and described in said Englund patent. 22 indicates therunner-shank which is provided with any well-known dropping mechanismoperated by the check-rower rock-shaft 15. The form which I prefer touse is that shown in detail in Fig. 2, in which there is an upper valve23 operated by an arm 24 on the rock-shaft 15 so as to receive andaccumulate the corn dropped upon the seedplate. 24 indicates a secondvalve, which is operated by the rock-shaft15 and operates to push outthe corn when dropped into the heel of the shank by the operation of thevalve 23. 25 indicates a vertically-movable valve operated by aconnection 26 with the upper valve 23 so as, to close the heel of therunner while the grain is dropped into it and open the same in time tobe pushed out by the push-valve 24. These parts will be readilyunderstood and, forming no part of my present invention, will need nofurther description.

27 indicates hoppers adapted to contain cow peas or similar leguminousseed.

28 indicates seed-plates mounted in the bottoms of the hoppers 27 andprovided with a cover-cap 29, cut-off 30 and with suitable seed-cells 31adapted to feed the cow peas from the hopper 27 through a dischargespout 32 in the bottom thereof when the seed-plate is rotated.

33 indicates annular gears rotatably mounted inthe bottom of theseed-boxes 27 and connected in any suitable manner with the seed-plate28 so as to rotate the same when the gear ring is rotated.

34 indicates a shaft, which is suitably journaled in the front frame andis preferably squared, except, of course, at the points at which it isjournaled.

35 indicates gears mounted upon the end of the shaft 34 and meshing withannular gears 33.

36 indicates a sprocket, which is slidingly mounted on the squared shaft34 and is connected by means of a sprocket-chain 37 with a sprocket 38fixed on the operating-shaft 17. The object of having the shaft 34squared. and the sprocket 36 slidingly mounted upon it is to enable thesprocketwheel 36 to automatically aline with the sprocket 38.

39 indicates discharge-tubes connected to the bottom of the hoppers 27.The lower end opens into the runner-shank, which is above the valve 23and the upper end surrounds the dischargetube 32 so that when theseed-plate 28 is rotated the cow peas in the hoppers 27 will bedischarged through the spout 39 and mingle with the corn as itaccumulates from the seed-plates 19 upon the upper valve 23 and may bedropped with the corn when the checkrower mechanism operates as abovedescribed. The seed hoppers 27 are supported in any usual way, as bybrackets 40 connected with the front frame.

It will be obvious that by the above construction the seed-plates in thehoppers 27 are rotated at the same time as the corn seed-plates in thehoppers 12that is, during the period of the clutch engagement and thepeas will be accumulated with the corn in such number as may be desiredand dropped with the corn into the' hill. It will also be obvious thatby the above construction the number of peas dropped will not in any waybe afiected by the variable drop of the corn, as the means for varyingthe rotation of the seed-plate 19 are independent of the means by whichthe seed-plates in the hoppers 27 are driven by the rotation of theoperating-shaft.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is,.

1. In combination, in a corn-planter, a seed-box, a seed-plate insaidseed-box, an operating-shaft, means for" driving said seed-platefrom said operating-shaft, an auxiliary seed-box, a rotatable seed-platetherein, a second operating-shaft, means for driving said secondoperating-shaft from said first operating-shaft, and a discharge spoutleading from said auxiliary seed-box adapted to mingle the graindischarged therefrom with the grain discharged from the first seed-box.

2. In combination, in a corn-planter, a runnerframe, a wheel frame,seed-boxes mounted on said runner-frame seed-plates in said seed-boxes,an operating-shaft, and means for driving said operating-shaft from thewheel axle of said wheel-frame, auxiliary seed-boxes mounted on saidrunnor-frame, seed-plates therein, an operatingshaft for driving saidseed-plates, means for driving said second operating-shaft from saidfirst operating-shaft, and discharge tubes leading from said auxiliaryseed-boxes into the runner shank below the first-named seed-boxes andadapted to mingle the seed discharged from said auxiliary seed-boxeswith the seed discharged from the main seed-boxes.

3. In a corn-planter, in combination, a wheel-frame having a shaftjournaled therein and wheels on said shaft, a runner-frame, anoperating-shaft mounted on said runnerframe, means for driving saidoperatingshaft from said wheel axle, said means including clutchmechanism, check-rower mechanism on said runner-frame adapted to controlsaid clutch mechanism, .runner valves operated by said check-rowermechanism, seed-plates in said seed-boxes, means for driving saidseed-plates from said opsaid second operating-shaft from said firsteratlng-shaft, auxlhary seed-boxes mounted operating-shaft.

on said runner-frame and havin seedspouts leading therefrom into therunner JOHN TUNNICLIFF' shanks above said runner valves, seed-platesWitnesses:

in said seed-boxes connected with said sec- ALMA J. OLSON,

0nd operating-shaft, and means for driving CHAS. M. MOCUTOHEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

